Two Adventist teachers trekked the Kokoda Trail for six days recently to attend a Quality Adventist Schools in the Pacific (QASP) training program in Papua New Guinea.
The volunteer teachers traversed the rugged track to reach Mount Diamond Adventist Secondary School, where more than 500 educators from across the New Guinea Islands and Southern Region completed the training.
One of the teachers said that despite the physical challenges of the journey, they were determined to attend because they believed it was vital for their school to be part of the QASP rollout.
Teachers were trained to implement the framework in their own school settings, despite the diverse cultural and geographical contexts across Papua New Guinea.
Kokoda district director Minister Dickson Amos said the school and local church were working together to empower their community to become more mission-focused.
South Pacific Division education director Dr Elisapesi Manson said the Quality Adventist Schools framework is designed to do more than improve educational outcomes “but also serves as a catalyst for preparing students, teachers and school communities to actively participate in the mission of sharing Jesus”.
More than 2000 Adventist school teachers across the South Pacific are expected to be equipped through the rollout of the QASP framework by the end of 2026.
The initiative, which began in the Papua New Guinea Union Mission and Trans Pacific Union Mission in March, is helping Adventist schools strengthen their mission and discipleship focus
Dr Manson said the SPD education department is partnering with the education teams in the PNGUM and TPUM in the South Pacific for Christ evangelistic initiative using the Quality Adventist Schools framework.
“The vision of South Pacific for Christ is not only to lead people to baptism but to make lifelong disciples of Jesus,” she said. “The Quality Adventist Schools framework supports this vision by nurturing and retaining disciples within Adventist schools, ensuring that every school becomes a vibrant centre of discipleship, mission and Christ-centred education.”
